History, Facts and
Information about GaleriusThe content of this article
provides interesting history, facts and information about
the Emperor Galerius who ruled the empire of Ancient Rome. Read about the life of Galerius who can be described or
remembered as:

"The
Emperor who persecuted the Christians but eventually begged
for their prayers..."

Short Biography
about the life of Galerius
Short Biography profile and facts about one of the most famous Romans of all, in the life of
Galerius, Emperor of Rome and provinces of the Roman Empire.

Interesting facts
about the life of Galerius
Obtain a fast overview of the times of the Roman Emperor
Galerius from the following facts and information about his life.
Why was Galerius famous?
Accomplishments, achievements and important events.
Galerius reigned 293 - 305 as Caesar, under Diocletian and
between 305 - 311 as Augustus alongside Constantius Chlorus.
The war with Persia had started, in which Galerius
was at first defeated in A.D. 296. But the next year
Galerius passed
through the mountains of Armenia at the head of twenty-five
thousand chosen men, and, having surprised the Persian army
in the night, slaughtered great numbers of them; the booty,
too, was immense. Galerius was a barbarian soldier and finding a bag of
shining leather filled with pearls he threw away the contents
and preserved the bag! The uncultivated savages that
Galerius led gathered
a vast spoil from the tents of the Persians, unaware of much
of their value. Galerius,
having taken prisoners several of the wives and children of
the Persian monarch Narses, treated them with such
tenderness and respect that Narses made peace. Mesopotamia
was therefore added to the empire by Galerius, being taken from the King of
Armenia, who received in its place a considerable Persian
province. After the abdication of Diocletian and Maximianus
Galerius ruled the East together with the Caesar he had
appointed, whose name was Daza, but who called himself
Maximin.

Galerius
and the ChristiansGalerius had a bitter hatred of the Christians
and encouraged his co-rulers in the persecution of the
Christian sect. The persecution of the Christians raged in
the East under Galerius and Maximin Daza. Christians were
hunted down like wild beasts from one end of the empire to
the other. The persecution of Christians began A.D. 303, and
continued for nearly ten years. The persecution of the
Christians raged in the East under Galerius and the Caesar
he had appointed, whose name was Daza, but who called
himself Maximin. The following link provides details of the
Edicts of Diocletian and the persecution of Christians.

So many
Christians perished that the emperors of the Tetrarchy
boasted that they had totally eliminated the Christian sect.
Many Christian Martyrs were later canonised. Details of
these Saints, their tortures and deaths are detailed in the
following section:

The Death of GaleriusGalerius died on 5 May 311 near Serdica of a
horrible disease, during which he was filled with remorse
for his cruelties to the Christians, sent to entreat their
prayers, and stopped the persecution. The laws against
Christians therefore eased in 311 when the
general edict of toleration was issued. On his death,
Licinius seized part of his dominions, and there were other
men calling themselves Emperors: Licinius in Asia, Daza
Maximin in Egypt, Maxentius at Rome, and Constantine in
Gaul.
Flavius Valerius Severus became
Caesar then Augustus of the west.